Their hands shake and legs quiver uncontrollably before they can even walk through the tentacle and seaweed carved mirror. Terrified tears roll down their cheeks and they cover their face with their hands in half embarrassment as students look at them on their way to their dorms.
They take a few breaths, forcing themselves to walk through the mirror and getting hit with an instant wave of cold, as if they were standing beneath an air conditioner on full blast. The dorm is silent with the occasional sounds of bubbles and light chatter as they walk through, staring out the window of the tunnel to see the pristine ocean around them. They grimly wonder what they will be put through here... perhaps they will be forced to watch someone drown, or they will drown themselves.
A part of them hopes that their adventure ends in that way. Drowning sounds peaceful, they think bitterly, biting their lip raw.
They wander for a few moments before realizing that they were lost within the large dorm, following tunnel after tunnel until they reached what seemed to be the entrance all over again. They sigh and decide that it would be best to at least try to ask for help, lest they encounter some sort of sea monster that will maul them and leave their remains as fish food.
"May I help you?" A calm voice calls to them from behind and they bite back a shriek, slowly turning to face the tall boy who smiles politely down at them.
"Y-yes, please..."
"My, you're a quiet one," The boy chuckles, heterochromatic eyes staring straight through them and sending a chill down their spine. They unconsciously hug the blazer closer over their injured arm, catching a calming whiff of the sandy, fresh-wood smell of Jack's bandanna, reminding themselves that Jack is protecting them.
Even who-knows-how far below the surface they are.
"Are you perhaps looking for our dorm leader?" They can only manage a slight nod before they feel a large hand make it's place on the small of their back, leading them back through the tunnel they just came through. "That folder is for the Mostro Lounge, correct? I assume you've never eaten there?" They shake their head once more, a bead of sweat dripping from their temple. The man simply frowns, a look of concern flashing over his normally placcid features. He rests a gloved hand on their shoulder, which makes them jump.
"Oh you poor thing," He mumbles. "It's come to my attention that other dorms are quite... unsightly." They shiver at the mention. "No worries, Prefect, Octavinelle is nothing like the other dorms. We're gentlemen, and would never dream of threatening or scaring our guests." Something in the back of their mind pleas for them to ignore him, to continue through the dorm and slam the folder on this dorm leader's desk, and stride out and never leave Ramshackle ever again, maybe even run away to RSA, a school where Ace and Deuce told them they may be safe. Apparently a student of said school came to Heartslabyul often before he was caught and beheaded. According to the Spade and the Heart, he was very kind and playful, a stereotype for students of RSA.
They make the resolve in their mind to run there as soon as they get out of the watery dungeon.
"We've arrived, please, make yourself at home while I go fetch Azul," He pauses and turns to them. "Are you cold? You seem to be shivering quite a bit," They nod and he apologetically shakes his head, placing a hand over his heart and bowing his head slightly. "My apologies, it's normally quite cold here. Here, take this, it's well insulated and I'm used to the cold," He drapes his gray jacket over their shoulders and strides off.
They're stunned for a moment, mouth hanging slightly open as they take in the sudden awrmth of the jacket, wondering for a moment whether this man was willing to protect them in the same way Ace, Deuce, and now Jack have. He was tall, and intimidating, and his teeth were scary enough... surely they would be safe with the beastman and this mysterious, unnamed man protecting them.
